The Ceres Podcast

Stelios sits down with seasoned restaurateur James Fowler to explore the resilient world of UK hospitality. From his early days starting a fruit bar on Bournemouth's beach to running successful venues like The Larder House for over 15 years, James shares his passion for quality food, community-driven high streets, and the joys of wood-fired cooking.

Dive into candid discussions on post-COVID consumer shifts, the impact of rising business rates and minimum wage increases, and the push for VAT reductions to foster growth in restaurants, pubs, and fish and chip shops. James also opens up about innovative responses to recent budgets, including a bold campaign highlighting the need for better government support to revive local economies and mental health through social dining.

Packed with optimistic insights and practical advice for hospitality owners facing unpredictable trade, this conversation reminds us why thriving high streets are essential for UK communities.

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Mark Petrou is joined by Warren and Sarah Paul of Paramount Creative for an open and wide-ranging conversation about the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards, visibility and what real recognition means for fish and chip shops.

Warren and Sarah share their journey from hospitality publishing and design into creating some of the UK's best-known industry awards, including the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards. They explain why public voting matters, how credibility is built through transparency, and why regional recognition can be more powerful than chasing a single national title. The conversation also looks ahead to the upcoming English Fish and Chip Awards, set to take place in Manchester, and what this expansion means for fish and chip shops across England.

The discussion covers the realities facing family-run fish and chip businesses today, from rising costs and competition to the importance of community support, local media and social proof.

Along the way, Mark reflects on his own experiences attending the awards and what makes these events land differently with operators and guests alike.

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Stelios is joined by Allen Simpson, CEO of UKHospitality, and Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, for an open and detailed discussion on the pressures facing hospitality businesses across the UK.

The conversation explores business rates, rising rateable values, wage policy, VAT, employment reform and why many pubs, restaurants, hotels and fish and chip shops feel increasingly constrained. Allen and Kate explain how recent budget decisions have played out in practice, why promised reforms have fallen short, and what these policies mean for jobs, investment and long-term viability.

They also discuss wage compression, youth employment, apprenticeships and welfare-to-work schemes, alongside the importance of engaging directly with MPs rather than relying on social media to drive change.

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Stelios is joined by Giles Fuchs from Burgh Island Hotel for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to run a hospitality business when the pressure is real.

Giles shares lessons from building, losing, and rebuilding businesses, including why even a single customer can become your strongest long-term asset if you get the experience right. The discussion explores staffing costs, government policy, and the unintended consequences that hospitality operators feel first, long before they appear in headlines.

The episode also looks at trust, personal risk, and the mental load of being responsible for a business and the people in it. Giles explains how stoicism and preparation help him stay steady in uncertain conditions, offering a practical mindset rather than motivational slogans.

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In this Podsquad episode of The Ceres Podcast, Stelios Theocharous is joined by David Nicolaou and Mark Petrou for a frank conversation about the pressures fish and chip businesses are facing right now.

The discussion starts with real-world stories from the coalface, including a frozen bank account without warning and the serious consequences of a missed Companies House filing. Those experiences lead into a wider debate about risk, compliance, and why relying on government fixes such as VAT cuts is not a strategy for survival.

From there, the Podsquad tackles soaring cod prices, whether cod should still be the default choice on fish and chip shop menus, and how operators can adapt pricing and menus to protect margins without losing customers. It is an honest, practical discussion aimed squarely at owners and operators who want to focus on what they can control.

If you run a fish and chip shop or hospitality business, this episode offers clear thinking, lived experience, and straight-talking insight from people who understand the realities of the trade.

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Stelios is joined by Andrew Markou, CEO and co-founder of BusinessesForSale.com.

Together they break down what really drives the value of small hospitality businesses, with direct relevance to fish and chip shops. The conversation focuses on why cash flow matters more than turnover when valuing a business, what realistic multiples look like, and how owners can increase value by building systems that reduce reliance on them personally.

They also explore succession trends, the do's and don'ts of improving a business after purchase, and why franchising is growing in the UK, plus what independent operators can learn from a franchise-style mindset. Practical, grounded and full of trade-ready insights for anyone buying, running, scaling or preparing to sell a hospitality business.

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In Episode 234 of The Ceres Podcast News Review, hosts Stelios Theocharous and David Nicolaou break down the week's most important stories for fish and chip shops and hospitality operators. With their usual mix of clarity, experience and straight talking, they explore what the headlines really mean for independent businesses on the ground.

This episode covers:

• A quick look at David and Craig's new venture, The Grumpy Fryers, and why fresh trade-led content matters

• The Scottish awards expanding into England, and how that could raise standards across the UK

• Thirteen months of decline in hospitality jobs, and what it signals for the industry ahead of the Budget

• The £50,000 extractor fan that turned into a £2.5 million planning disaster, and the compliance lesson behind it

• McDonald's under renewed scrutiny over workplace harassment, and the wider safeguarding message for every operator employing young staff

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Steven Muscat has spent his life behind the counter at one of Cardiff's best-known family chippies, Yan's Fish Bar. In this episode, he joins Mark Petrou for a warm, honest catch-up that starts with Steven's family roots and the story of how the business began, then moves into what it was like growing up in the shop and eventually taking over the reins.

Together, they dig into the father-and-son dynamic that shaped Steven's career, and then zoom out to the big shifts facing the fish and chip trade today — changing customer expectations, portion sizes, fish choices, pricing pressure, and the day-to-day challenge of staying profitable without losing what makes a great chippy great. Steven also shares why he built the Owners and Lovers community on facebook, his views on awards and recognition in the industry, and what the future looks like for family-run shops in a post-Covid, delivery-heavy world.

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Stelios sits down with Robert Furey, Managing Director of Florigo UK, to talk about how fish and chip shops can stay sharp and profitable in an uncertain economy. They explore the difference between cutting costs and cutting investment, why some operators often pause while others stick to long-term plans, and how replacing ageing ranges can save money through efficiency, reliability, and easier servicing.

The conversation also covers pricing confidence and value perception, practical lessons on click-and-collect and delivery, and the essentials many shops overlook — from insurance details and servicing schedules to fire-suppression compliance.

Finally, they look ahead to the next wave of range technology and unpack what the QBTEC move around Florigo could mean for the wider market.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to control costs without stalling growth

• The true payback of upgrading old frying ranges

• Pricing psychology and protecting perceived value

• Click-and-collect first, delivery second — and why

• Insurance, maintenance, and fire-suppression basics that matter

• Where frying range tech is heading next

• What the QBTEC/Florigo news likely means for operators

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Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith MP joins Stelios for a straight-talking conversation about the real challenges facing small businesses and the hospitality sector.

From VAT reform and business rates to red tape, hiring struggles, and the pressure on high streets, this episode digs into how government decisions ripple into everyday life for fish and chip shops, pubs, cafés, and independent operators across the country.

Andrew draws on decades in business, including senior roles at Sky and Just Eat, to offer a candid insider's view of Westminster. Stelios pushes the discussion into the issues owners actually care about: the VAT cliff edge, staffing costs, unfair competition, and whether the current system truly supports those keeping Britain's communities alive.

A clear, grounded, and practical discussion for anyone who runs a business or depends on one.

Episode highlight powered by Ceres Deep Fryer Cleaner, Ceres Heavy Duty Degreaser & Ceres Heavy Duty Descaler— made to keep your commercial kitchen and equipment in peak condition. Find out more at ceres.shop.

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